OBJECTIVES: Agents that inhibit sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2), including canagliflozin and dapagliflozin, become available for the treatment of Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This analysis evaluated the economic outcomes of canagliflozin 100 mg for patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease in the Chinese context.

METHODS:Economic outcomes were projected by using the validated Chinese Outcomes Model for T2DM (COMT). Efficacy and safety, medical expenditure, and utility data were derived from the literature, which were assigned to model variables for estimating the quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and costs as well as incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). The analysis was conducted from the perspective of Chinese healthcare service providers. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. Health outcomes and costs were discounted at 5%.

RESULTS: Relative to control strategy, treatment with canagliflozin 100 mg was associated with additional 0.4286 expected life years per patients treated and 0.4530 QALYs gained, which was driven by the reduced risk of macrovascular and microvascular complications over lifetime horizon. The saved cost of canagliflozin 100 mg versus control strategy was US $ 3,559, which indicated that canagliflozin 100 mg treatment was a dominant strategy. The one-way sensitivity analyses indicated that economic outcomes of canagliflozin 100 mg versus control strategy would be considerably influenced by the patient age and the relative efficacy of canagliflozin 100 mg treatment in decreasing the risks of end-stage kidney disease.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that it likely to be a cost-saving option in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.